


Prototype

by BreakfastTea



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Blood, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, When MTs Attack, experimental weaponry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 03:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13849137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: When Noctis is injured by one of Niflheim's prototype weapons, Aranea reveals it can only be removed with a specific device. With Noctis' magic, and his life, being steadily drained away, Ignis, Gladio and Prompto have no choice but to infiltrate one of the Empire's fortresses in order to save their friend's life. But how well will they cope without Noctis there to warp-kill their enemies?





	Prototype

**Author's Note:**

> For my first anon who made a fascinating request that finally allowed me to write Aranea! Hooray! Thank you! I really hope you enjoy this ^_^

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone overhead, the temperature just right. They cruised towards Alstor Slough, on a mission to find frogs for Sania. It would’ve been perfect, if not for the Imperial drop ship they couldn’t shake.

“We’re gonna have to take it out,” Gladio said. “We can’t let it tail us forever.”

“Agreed. They seem unusually tenacious today,” Ignis said. “Noct, pull over.”

“Okay.” Noctis saw a small parking area ahead, rusted and abandoned cars filling some of the spots. It was a large, open area; no towns or farms anywhere nearby. Perfect. They would have the space they needed to take out the MTs that would soon swarm them, with no risk to any civilians.

Prompto sighed. “There goes our day without any fights.”

“Sounds boring,” Gladio said.

Prompto made a face. “There’s nothing wrong with boring.”

Noctis parked the car and switched off the engine. “Let’s go.”

They left the car behind and ran off towards the waters of Alstor Slough. The drop ship hovered overhead, the ramp sliding open.

Gladio’s greatsword appeared in his hand. “Let’s do this.”

“You enjoy all this fighting way too much,” Prompto said. “I worry about you.”

“Don’t stand in a bloodthirsty man’s way,” Noctis said, keeping his tone serious.

“That’s good advice, Prompto,” Gladio said, smirking.

Prompto laughed nervously. “Time’s like these I’m so glad you’re not my enemy.”

The MTs dropped from above. Noctis counted ten. All of them carried large projectile weapons. He knew from files he’d read back in Insomnia that they would fire bolts that would lodge into the target’s flesh and administer painful electric shocks.

Definitely something to avoid.

“How do you want to do this?” Gladio asked Ignis.

“Noct, disable them with a Thunder spell. From there, we pick them off. And whatever you do, don’t get hit by those weapons.”

“Got it.” Noctis pulled a Thunder flask out of the Armiger. “Get back.”

His friends fell behind him. Noctis launched the flask into the air. It hit the centre of the MT pack, lightning shooting through their metal bodies. The three closest to the epicentre fell, their bodies overloaded. But that still left seven.

“Let’s go,” Gladio said, a broad grin brightening his features.

Prompto pulled his gun out of the Armiger. “You scare me, big guy.”

Gladio laughed, throwing himself into battle.

Ignis’ daggers flashed into his hands. “Let’s make this quick, shall we?”

Noctis summoned his Engine Blade. “Whoever has the least kills has to wash the car. Inside and out.”

He threw himself into battle, dodging a MT’s flashing blades and lashing out with an uppercut that threw the soldier into the air. It hit the ground and Noctis skewered it, killing it. He didn’t waste time savouring the victory. He spun around, ready to take out another MT.

As he turned, he caught sight of a MT aiming its bizarre projectile weapon at Prompto. Heart lurching, Noctis acted on instinct. He switched weapons, pulling his own set of daggers from the Armiger. He threw one at his original target and used the other to warp himself to Prompto’s aid.

The first dagger scored a second kill. The second dagger landed in the MT’s back. Unlike its two compatriots, it didn’t go down.

But it did turn away from Prompto.

Noctis dismissed the dagger and flipped back.

The MT raised its bizarre weapon and fired.

Noctis blocked the projectile with a shield.

Only to watch as the heavy metal arrow bounced off, adjusted its trajectory, and shot behind him. He twisted around, brain scrambling to catch up. The arrow was actually a tiny rocket, and it was still coming for him.

He couldn’t move fast enough.

The projectile hit him in the at the bottom of his ribcage. He looked down, saw its tip burrowed into his flesh. He grabbed it, trying to wrench it free even as it tore at his flesh. A stream of fire belched out of the rocket, driving the arrowhead deeper into his body.

He cried out, bone cracking beneath it. The MT sensed its victory and swooped towards him, hand outstretched as if to grab him. Instinct kicked in and Noctis launched a Blizzard flask at his attacker without thinking. It hit the MT and froze it.

“Noct!” Three familiar voices shouted his name.

Noctis staggered back from the now frozen MT, his blurring eyes still on the projectile lodged into his body. The rocket had died off, and Noctis watched as the casing cracked open. Spindly appendages snapped out and pierced his flesh. He saw a brief flash of light. That was his only warning before a taser jolt hit him. Pain overwhelmed him. He blacked out.

He struggled back to consciousness. The world around him sounded bizarre, everything slow and distorted. He battled to open his eyes, only for his vision to be hazy and weak. He could make out the sight of the sky above and the ground beneath him, but beyond that he couldn’t see properly.

Footsteps thudded closer to him. A hand rested on his shoulder. “Hold on.” It was Ignis.

Noctis relaxed, the sound of his friend’s voice soothing him despite the pain and exhaustion in his body. It was okay. He wasn’t alone.

Weariness weighed heavily. He was so tired, he barely felt the pain. Maybe the arrow in his side was gone. Maybe Ignis had pulled it out. Noctis’ hand slowly moved towards his side.

He felt metal before he touched his own flesh.

“No, leave it,” Ignis said, his voice firm.

Noctis wanted to pull it out, knew he had to, but he couldn’t find the energy. Something felt wrong. He could’ve laughed at himself. Of course something felt wrong; he had a metal projectile stuck in his body. But it was more than that. Deeper. He tuned out the world around him and listened to the alarms shrieking in his body.

Magic. He could feel his innate magical power slowly but steadily draining. His connection to the Crystal wavered.

His hand reached for the metal projectile again. “Gotta get it out.”

“No, Noct.” Ignis grabbed his hand and pulled it away. “If you do that, you’ll bleed to death.”

“It’s gotta come out,” Noctis said. His voice was thin, little more than a whisper. “Ignis, it’s –”

The sound of footsteps drowned him out.

“They’re gone,” Prompto said. “They took off. Is Noct okay?”

“No,” Ignis said. “We need to get out of here, quickly.”

“Why?” Prompto asked. “What’s – oh. Oh, no.”

“Shit.” Gladio was there.

“We need to reach a haven,” Ignis said. “And then we can treat the wound.”

“Up,” Gladio said, grabbing Noctis and hauling him to his feet. “Keep moving.”

Noctis didn’t argue. He walked, his hand pressed to his side. It did little to alleviate the pain, but at least he could pretend like it would stop the arrow from digging deeper into his flesh.

The others circled him, protecting him from anything else that might throw itself at them. Noctis said nothing. It took everything he had to keep walking. Energy drained out of him with every step. He could feel his magic reserves bleeding out of him, faster than his actual blood bled out of him. A giddy, drunken giggle escaped him.

“Noct?” Prompto asked, voice strained.

“Magic,” Noctis said. “It’s draining my magic.”

Ignis stared at him. “It’s what?”

Noctis looked down at the bolt. At the bottom of it, he could see a small chamber. Within it, blue light gathered. “That’s mine,” he said, tapping it with a bloody finger.

“Keep moving,” Ignis said. “Once we’re at camp, we’ll get it out.”

“Wait. We’ve got company.” Gladio pointed at another troop of MTs headed their way.

“Go,” Noctis said. When he saw the concern on his friend’s faces, he drew himself up as tall as he could manage. “I’m fine. Go!”

They ran, weapons out and swinging. Noctis looked down at the bolt sticking out of him. The sight of its thin, metal feelers piercing his skin made him nauseous. The light of his magic grew brighter, the drain on his body steady and powerful. He weaved on his feet, the sound of his friends’ fighting fading beneath the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He grabbed a tree, panting for breath. He had to stay upright. If he fell over, he knew he wouldn’t have the strength to keep walking.

Prompto came running. “Okay, we got ‘em,” he said. “Come on, Noct, let’s go.”

Pushing away from the tree, Noctis wobbled onwards through the Slough’s lush landscape towards the camp. He locked his blurry gaze on the path ahead. He didn’t waste what little energy he had left. He just had to get to camp. He forced himself to walk, feeling more magic draining out of his body with every step.

His vision darkened. He couldn’t pull enough air into his lungs. Pain bit into him with every step. Too much. It was too much. He tipped sideways.

Prompto grabbed him. “It’s gonna be okay, Noct. We’re almost there.”

But it was no good. Noctis didn’t have the strength to take another step. He lost his grip on Prompto and slid to the ground.

“Guys, a little help?” Prompto shouted.

Footsteps came running. “I’ve got him,” Gladio said.

Noctis blinked hard, desperately trying to get his vision to focus. It was no good; anything beyond a couple of metres was a lost cause. He needed to tell them to rip the arrow out, they could stop the bleeding, it’d be fine.

But then Gladio lifted him.

The sound of his cry echoed across the forest.

“Shh, Noct, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay,” Prompto said.

Time fragmented. Moments passed in strange, disjointed flashes. Noctis opened his eyes and saw trees overhead.

They faded away.

He opened his eyes again and saw sky.

Darkness.

A noise pulled him back to the surface. Noctis looked up. The sky was gone, replaced by something large and floating.

“Shit, more MTs!” Gladio shouted. “Run!”

Noctis tensed. “No, wait, I –”

Pain blasted through Noctis’ body again. He passed out again.

Voices surrounded him the next time he came to. Voices, and the soft light of a haven. Weird. He was on the floor and not in the tent. Why? Before he could solve that mystery, the voices grabbed his attention. Three he recognised immediately. The fourth, a woman’s, took him a moment to place.

Aranea.

“Oh, are you awake?” she asked.

Noctis squinted up at the face staring down at him. It blurred in and out of focus. “What’s happening?” he breathed. He felt so much worse than before. Exhaustion weighed him down like he had dropped the rocks on his chest. Soon, it would crush him.

“Looks like you’re having a bad day, Your Highness,” she said. She smiled, sympathy and apology on her features. “I was hoping to find you before they did, but it looks like I was too slow.”

“What?” Even speaking hurt now.

“You were sought out. Attacked on purpose. The Empire developed a new weapon to gather magical energy and right now, we can’t get it out of you.”

Noctis tried to sit up, but a horrific pain ripped through him. He fell back, too tired to cry out. “It has to come out.”

“No,” Aranea said. “If you tear it out, you’ll activate the failsafe and it’ll explode. We have to disarm it properly.”

“It’s draining me,” Noctis said. He needed them to understand. “My magic.”

“Exactly,” Aranea said. “Pull it out, and it’ll kill you. It’s storing the magic its stealing from you, siphoning it away. The Empire’s willing to take what you have in any way that they can.”

Noctis tried to speak, but he couldn’t find the strength. Pain and exhaustion swallowed him whole. He sank into the ground, sleep reclaiming him.

Aranea watched the Prince of Lucis, her supposed enemy, pass out. Her eyes trailed down to the weapon piercing his body. It was supposed to be a prototype, but of course the technicians back in Gralea had completed it ahead of schedule and put it into the hands of the troops hunting the land for the missing Prince.

The Empire had changed, and Aranea could no longer stand by and support it.

She turned to the other three, saw the concern in their features despite how hard two of the three tried to hide it. Her heart went out to them. They were all so young, and so naïve. Adorably so, in some cases. She smiled reassuringly at Prompto. Poor, sweet boy.

“Alright,” she said, tone authoritative. “We can save him, but it’s not going to be easy. If my intel is correct, we’ll have to break into Falmouth Garrison. That’s the location of the experimental weapons lab, including the one that’s killing him.”

“Killing him?” Prompto gasped.

“There’s no point sugarcoating this,” Aranea said. “That weapon is designed to drain magic until there’s nothing left. Someone like the Prince has a lot of power, so it’ll take a long time, but if we don’t do something soon, he will die.”

“Doesn’t helping us go against what the Empire wants you to do?” Gladio asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.

“Good thing I don’t really work for the Empire now,” Aranea said. “I work for myself. And right now, that means I’ve decided to help you four out.” She chuckled. “Again. My, my, it’s becoming a bad habit.” She nodded at her drop ship, waiting not too far away. “We should move. Just because it’ll take longer to kill him, doesn’t mean he’s got days.”

“Whoa, wait, we can’t leave Noct here alone!” Prompto protested.

“And none of you can stay behind,” Aranea said. “I know you’ve infiltrated bases before, but you normally had a certain magic-user on your side. This is gonna be an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

“Then he stays on your ship,” Ignis said. “Prompto’s right. We can’t leave him here. A haven may be safe, but Noct will need monitoring.” He glanced at Aranea. “You have men aboard that can help, yes?”

Aranea sighed. “Not sure how Biggs and Wedge will feel about babysitting.”

“They have to!” Prompto cried out.

Ignis put a steadying hand on Prompto’s shoulder.

Aranea took pity. “It’s alright, they’ll do it. They’ll do anything they’re ordered to do. Your Prince will be safe with them.” She turned and headed away. “Let’s move.”

* * *

The sound of an engine dragged him from his slumber. Noctis opened his eyes to see metal and darkness.

“Noct?”

Prompto’s blurry face appeared above him. Noctis tried to speak, but he couldn’t find the energy.

“It’s okay, don’t push yourself. You gotta save your strength. We’re gonna get that thing out of your side, and then everything’ll be fine. Just hang in there.”

Hang in there? Hang in there where? The last thing Noctis remembered was… outdoors. Light. Haven?

Prompto crouched down beside him. “You should sleep some more,” he said. “This is the one time no one’s gonna complain about it. No alarms or dragging you out the tent or anything.”

Sleep. Sleep sounded like a really, really good idea. And yet a thrill of fear shot through Noctis. If he slept now, would he wake up again? The way he felt right now, he wasn’t sure. That wrongness, the drain, had sunk deeper into his being. He was cold, too. No amount of blankets or warmth could fight it off. He shivered, only to set off a fresh wave of pain in his side. He whimpered, the pathetic sound barely audible.

“Sleep,” Prompto said. “I promise you’ll feel better when you wake up.”

Unable to keep his eyes open, Noctis drifted off again. Prompto looked up at the others. “He can’t hold on much longer. He’s so cold.”

Ignis reached over, frowning when his fingers touched Noctis’ chilled flesh. “We’re almost there.”

“Aranea’s right,” Prompto said. “We’ve never had to sneak in without Noct before.”

“We can do this,” Gladio said. He rolled his shoulders. “We’ll tear through every trooper in there if we have to.”

“Let’s try to avoid that,” Aranea said. “The lab’s located in the centre of the garrison. We need to get there without being found, otherwise we risk them destroying the weapon’s counteragent.”

“They would do that?” Ignis asked.

Aranea shrugged. “I wouldn’t put anything past the Empire these days. They seem pretty set on self-destruction.”

“Can’t you walk right in and take it?” Gladio asked her.

“Walk in, yes. Take an experimental weapon out with me? No.”

“Then perhaps we should plan a diversion so you can do precisely that,” Ignis said.

She looked at him. “You’d trust me to do this?”

Ignis tapped his glasses. “You found us in the middle of the nowhere with the intention of helping us. Yes, I trust you.”

Aranea nodded. “Then let’s do this your way. I’ll grab the device and before I set off every alarm in the entire garrison, you boys can draw their attention away from me. I may be high-ranking, but even I have orders. Me turning up unannounced at the garrison will raise a few eyebrows. There will be human officers alongside the MTs, especially in the labs.”

“Won’t it cause trouble for you if you’re caught?” Prompo asked.

Aranea waved a hand. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

“We’re coming up on the garrison,” Biggs called from the jump ship’s helm. “We’ll land a short distance away. You’ll have to approach on foot once its dark.”

“Which won’t be long,” Wedge added.

“Thanks,” Aranea said.

Gladio cracked his knuckles. “Let’s get this done.” He looked over to Noctis, noting his friend’s horrendously pale skin. He was tucked beneath a number of blankets, but Gladio could see him shivering. He’d failed in his duty as Shield once. It would not happen again. He’d tear the garrison apart by himself if he had to. They wouldn’t leave without the device that could remove the arrow from Noctis’ side.

“We’ll keep your friend safe,” Biggs said. “Focus on the mission.”

“Thank you,” Ignis said. He bowed his head briefly. “We will certainly owe you for your assistance.”

“We’ll hold you to that,” Biggs said cheerfully.

The drop ship landed, the ramp opening. Aranea stepped out. “Let’s move.”

Ignis, Gladio and Prompto followed her into the encroaching night.

* * *

They reached the garrison. Ignis, Gladio and Prompto peeled off, knowing they would have to sneak in while Aranea strolled through the front door. With every entry and exit guarded, they had to rely on Prompto’s sharpshooting to clear a path. Not easy when a breeze picked up, making sniping tricky.

“Really wish we could all warp,” Prompto said, taking down another MT. Now they had a way into the garrison. “It’d be less stressful.”

“You’re doing well,” Ignis said as they raced across the dusty landscape to a stairwell that would lead them into the garrison. “Focus on the mission.”

“Take out the MTs, cause a distraction, make sure Aranea gets out,” Prompto said. “Okay. I can do that.”

“Good,” Ignis said.

They raced up the stairs and into the garrison. Beyond waited a host of MTs, the troops marching up and down, guarding their terrible weapons.

“Can you see Aranea?” Prompto asked.

“Not from this distance,” Ignis said. “We’ll need to move toward that central hub.” He pointed to a large hanger in the heart of the garrison. “Aranea felt that would be the most likely site for the weapons testing lab.”

They crept around buildings, huts and tanks. They needed to start a diversion, yes, but only after Aranea gave the signal.

They moved deeper into the garrison. The patience it required was heroic; Ignis had to admit they were far too used to Noctis warp-killing troopers in their path. Now they had to wait for the MTs to move on. It was exceedingly trying. Time dragged by. Ignis kept an eye on his phone, waiting for Aranea’s signal.

Nothing yet.

He released a long, slow breath. He had to be patient. She would succeed.

“Can’t believe we’re trusting her with this,” Gladio muttered.

“Why, you think she’ll turn on us?” Ignis asked.

“No way!” Prompto said.

“Sh!” Gladio hissed.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“And no, I don’t think she’ll turn on us. But Noct is our responsibility. We should be doing this.”

“We are doing this,” Ignis said. “We’re using the best tactics to gain the item we need.”

“Feels wrong,” Gladio said. “We shouldn’t be relying on someone else.”

“If it gets us what we need with the minimal fuss, I say we absolutely should,” Ignis said. “Besides, Aranea has proven herself trustworthy before.”

Gladio grunted.

“And you’re just sad you don’t get to bash heads in on your way to getting what we want,” Prompto said.

Gladio couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe that’s the problem,” he said.

They moved on, weaving a path through the MTs. Ignis spied an empty hut and led the others to it. They were close enough to the lab to cause a distraction, and far enough away to make escape easy. Ignis forced himself to draw in deep, slow breaths. His attention wanted to wander away, back to Noctis, who had to be getting worse with every passing second. Ignis wanted to be there, but he knew he had to be here.

His phone chimed in his pocket. “That’s it,” he told the others. “That’s the signal. Let’s go.”

“After you,” Prompto said, pulling his guns out of the Armiger.

“Yeah,” Gladio said, his greatsword appearing. “Light ‘em up.”

“With pleasure.” Leading the way out of the hut, Ignis pulled two of Noctis’ Magic Flasks out of the Armiger and threw the Thundaga into the nearest gathering of MTs.

Alarms sounded. Troops ran. The garrison snapped into wakefulness. Gladio swung his way into the enemy, slicing through metal. Prompto shot down anything running at them from a distance, taking out the backup before they could be of any use. With Ignis wielding Noctis’ stored magic, they mowed down the troops with ease.

Ignis’ phone rang. He answered the call.

“I have it,” Aranea said. “I’m heading for the exit now. Keep up the good work. I’ll call you as soon as I’m out. Be careful. There are a lot of bodies on the ground here. They definitely wanted the lab kept safe.”

“Thank you,” Ignis said. “Please, you must get it to Noct and help him.”

“I will, but what about you three?” Aranea asked.

“We’ll manage.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oi, Ignis!” Gladio shouted. “We’ve got company!”

Ignis looked and saw a huge MA-Cuirass turned up.

“I have to go,” Ignis said. He ended the call and dropped the phone into his pocket.

“Shiiiiiit,” Prompto said. “That thing is huge!” He looked over to Gladio and Ignis. “Can we do this alone?”

Ignis switched to his spear. “We just need to create a diversion long enough for Aranea to make it out. We can do this.”

Missiles hit the air. The three of them scattered, moving in different directions. Ignis spun the lance and launched it at the tank’s foot. Sparks flew through the air, the tank losing its footing as Ignis separated a series of power conduits.

“Nice!” Prompto cheered.

Ignis leapt back, leaving Prompto to fire heavy rounds into the foot to further damage it.

Another round of missiles launched into the air, burying themselves in the ground.

“Run!” Ignis shouted.

They ran for cover, but they didn’t move fast enough. The missiles exploded, knocking them off their feet. Ignis slammed into the ground, the impact and the heat ripping the air from his lungs. Metal fragments rained through the air. Ignis hissed as a scalding chunk tore through his forearm. Blood spattered across the concrete.

The Cuirass tank took aim at Ignis. Gladio was there, shield out, sword swinging and slamming into the tank’s broken leg. It crumpled, knocking the tank to the ground.

“Nice work, big guy!” Prompto shouted. He was already on his feet, weapon ready to fire on anything that moved.

“We need to fall back,” Gladio said. He looked to Ignis. “Are you alright?”

Ignis reluctantly cracked a Potion. More of Noctis’ magic. He’d sat at camp last night, creating new curatives and Flasks for their use. His stomach tightened with nerves and impatience. “We should retreat. Aranea must be out by now.”

Gladio held out his hand. Ignis took it. With Prompto covering them, they began their retreat.

Gunshots hit the air. “Another troop,” Prompto called out, his voice as steady as his shots. He switched weapons, pulling out an auto-crossbow.  He fired again, this time aiming at the Cuirass. The fallen tank exploded, taking out the approaching troops.

“Nice work,” Gladio said.

Prompto nodded. “Thanks.”

They kept running, winding their way back through the garrison. But it wasn’t to be an easy escape. Troops came running out of every nook and cranny. Ignis worked his way through the flasks, blasting their way through the MTs while Gladio and Prompto covered their backs.

“Keep moving,” Ignis called to them as a frigid blast of Blizzaga froze several troopers. “We don’t need to clear the place out. We just need to escape.”

They kept moving, fighting when they had to, ducking and dodging when it was possible. They made their way back to the infiltration point and made their escape.

Ignis became aware of his phone ringing. He pulled it out. “Aranea?”

“Are you out?” Her voice was tense.

“Yes.”

“Good, because there are a lot of drop ships headed our way directly from Insomnia. Stay where you are, we’re on our way to you now.”

“Hurry,” Ignis said. He could see shapes moving in the darkness; not MTs, but rather daemons.

“Yeah, definitely hurry. We’re about to be pinned down!” Prompto said. He still had his eyes on the garrison, and the MTs racing towards them.

“Focus on the MTs,” Ignis told him. He looked to Gladio, who nodded. Ignis summoned one of the few remaining flasks from the Armiger. “I’ll hold off the daemons.” He could see the Grenades dancing in the distance. He launched a weaker Blizzara spell at them, the magic extinguishing them.

Unfortunately, a large fist punched its way out of the ground.

An Iron Giant emerged.

Ignis heard Prompto shooting and Gladio cutting through the MTs, the sound of metal ringing and crashing filling the night air. Ignis looked up and saw Aranea approaching.

“Move!” he shouted at the others. The drop ship wouldn’t be able to land with so many enemies in its path.

Together, the three of them raced across the open field, leaving daemons and MTs in their wake to turn on each other. The drop ship lowered, the ramp opening. Aranea stood there, waving them on. “Move it!” she shouted.

They leapt onto the ramp. As the drop ship lifted off again, Ignis caught sight of the skies above the garrison. Aranea hadn’t exaggerated; there had to be at least ten drop ships flying out of Insomnia towards the garrison.

Ignis turned away. He didn’t need to worry about any of that now. The ramp closed behind them. He saw Noctis, unconscious, on the deck. He was paler than before, his body shivering beneath the blankets.

Blankets that were stained with blood.

Aranea stepped up to Ignis. “Good work.” She held out a strange device. It looked like a phone, albeit one with a two-pronged fork sticking out of the top. “This is it. I think we’d better put some distance between ourselves and the garrison before we do this. We don’t want to risk being attacked mid-surgery.”

“Surgery?” Prompto asked.

“We have to remove a metal object from your friend’s body. That’s surgery.”

Prompto paled. He grabbed the bulkhead to keep himself upright.

“I’ll get us someplace safe,” Aranea said. She passed a first aid kit over. “Everything else you’ll need is in there, including antibiotic shots to fight off any infections.”

“Thank you,” Ignis said.

She nodded and turned to Gladio. “You’re gonna need to hold him down. I don’t have any kind of anaesthetic you can give him.”

Gladio’s face twisted, but he didn’t argue.

“And me?” Prompto asked, voice shaking.

Aranea walked over to him. She placed his hand on her shoulder. “You can step outside with me once we land and keep an eye out for any unwanted attention.”

“O-Okay.”

Five minutes later, Biggs and Wedge landed the drop ship somewhere between Longwhyte and Galdin Quay, far enough away from the garrison that hopefully they wouldn’t be found. Opening the hatch Biggs and Wedge followed Aranea and Prompto outside.

Ignis and Gladio used the sterile wash in the first aid kit to clean their hands. Ignis pulled the blankets back, wincing at the sight of the arrow sticking out of Noctis’ side. A small chamber at the bottom shimmered with blue magic. Lights flashed on the side of the arrow, indicating it was still very much active.

Ignis brushed the back of his hand against Noctis’ cheek. “Noct? Can you hear me?”

Noctis stirred. Glazed eyes cracked open. Pale lips parted. “Ignis?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“M’tired.”

“I know you are.”

Noctis tried to speak, but his words were mushy and useless with exhaustion.

“Don’t worry,” Ignis said. “You’ll feel better soon.”

Repositioning himself so he could easily reach the arrow, Ignis picked the device up and connected it to the arrow. A small charge shot between the two. Noctis grunted. Ignis looked and saw fresh blood oozing out of the entry point.

“Be strong, Noct,” Ignis murmured.

The device’s two forks sat perfectly in matching grooves on the arrow’s casing. The device lit up, the screen blinking into life. A message appeared onscreen. _Magic Capture Device Detected. Continue?_ And beneath that were two icons; _Yes_ and _No._

Ignis hit _Yes._

“Do you know what you’re doing?” Gladio asked.

“Not a clue,” Ignis said. He looked up at Gladio. “Hold him down.”

Wincing, Gladio said nothing and did as he was told.

A menu appeared onscreen. Some of the options were too terrible to contemplate, but at the very bottom, Ignis found what he hoped he needed.

_Deactivate Capture Device._

He tapped that.

_Deactivating device now will lead to a loss of captured magic. Continue?_

Ignis hit _Yes_ again.

The arrow’s small metal joints tore free of Noctis’ skin. He shuddered, lurching into ungainly life as he tried to pull himself away.

“Pull it out,” Gladio said, his large hands pressing Noctis’ writhing body to the ground.

“Not yet.” Ignis watched the screen, a bar warning him the device was still _shutting down_.

Further metal appendages popped free of Noctis’ body, blood spattering his friends and the deck beneath him. He cried out, the sound weak and thin. Every muscle in his body was tense, the pain evident.

“How much longer?” Gladio demanded.

“I don’t know.” Ignis willed the device to hurry. “Keep him still! I have no idea what will happen if he dislodges it prematurely.”

Gladio pinned Noctis down, using his heavier, larger body to keep Noctis from hurting himself.

Finally, a new message appeared onscreen. _Device Disabled. Remove and return to lab for diagnostics._

The forks pulled back. Ignis tossed the device aside and grabbed the arrow. He hesitated, his hands shaking.

The last thing he wanted was to cause Noctis more pain.

And yet, if he did nothing, Noctis would bleed to death.

Ignis swallowed. “I’m sorry,” he said.

He looked to Gladio.

Gladio nodded. “You gotta do it.”

Ignis pulled.

Noctis found his voice. He screamed as Ignis pulled the arrow out of his body, the damn thing refusing to come out easily despite being deactivated. By the time Ignis got it free, Noctis slumped, unconscious. Gladio grabbed the bloodied weapon out of Ignis’ hands and threw it aside. He grabbed bandages, pressing them against Noctis’ side to stem the bleeding.

“You still with me?” Gladio asked Ignis.

Ignis nudged his glasses up his nose, wincing as he left a massive bloodstain on the lens. “Yes.”

“Alright, good. Use a Hi-Elixir. It’ll kickstart the healing.”

“Right.”

Ignis pulled the curative out of the Armiger and broke it over the wound.

It wasn’t enough.

Ignis pulled out a second Hi-Elixir and used it. This time, the gaping hole began to bind itself together, flesh knitting before their eyes. Noctis didn’t react at all as his body began the arduous task of rebuilding itself.

With Gladio’s help, Ignis covered it with fresh bandages and wiped away the blood and chunks of flesh that had been torn from Noctis’ body.

Without a word, Ignis stood up, headed to the ramp, and proceeded to vomit. When he finished, he looked up to see the earliest light of dawn breaking through the night.

“Finished?” Aranea asked.

Ignis cleared his throat. “Yes.”

“Leave the kid with me,” she said. “There’s a stream about five hundred feet ahead of us. Prompto’s there with Biggs and Wedge. You should go and wash up.” She looked over her shoulder to Gladio. “Go with him. Make sure he gets there.”

Gladio nodded and walked to Ignis. He placed a hand on Ignis’ shoulder, squeezed once, and led him towards the stream. “You did good,” he said.

Ignis found himself lost for words.

“He’ll be alright,” Gladio went on. His hand never left Ignis’ shoulder. They reached the stream. Prompto was there, his eyes wet. Biggs and Wedge withdrew to a discreet distance.

“Is it over?” Prompto asked. “Noct’s okay?”

Shaky, closer to tears than he had been in years, Ignis managed only to nod.

“Are you okay?” Prompto asked. “I… I heard him screaming. That must’ve been awful.”

“I’m fine,” Ignis said.

“No, you’re not.” Gladio guided him to the water. “Wash up. Then we can get Aranea to drop us off someplace and you can get some sleep.”

“I doubt I could,” Ignis said, stepping into the stream and washing the blood off his hands and glasses. His shirt, however, was a lost cause. He’d change it as soon as he could.

“You can and you will,” Gladio said.

“We all will,” Prompto said. He stepped back. “I’ll sit with Noct. You guys come back when you’re ready.” He jogged back to the drop ship.

Ignis continued washing up, ignoring the tears now flowing freely down his face.

“It had to be done,” Gladio said from his side.

“Yes.”

“You’re a good man,” Gladio said. “The best of us all.”

Ignis replaced his glasses. His outlook was no longer blood tinged. “I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“Any time,” Gladio said.

They finished cleaning up in silence.

* * *

Prompto climbed up the ramp. He saw Aranea, watched her checking over Noctis. She checked his pulse, examined his bandages, then tucked the blankets over him once again despite the bloodstains.

“Is he okay?” Prompto asked.

“He’s breathing,” Aranea said. “That’s about the best you can hope for right now.” She stood back. “Stay with him. Once the others are ready, I’ll take you back to your campsite. You can rest there for as long as you need.”

Prompto sat beside his friend, trying not to focus on the blood pooled beneath him. He reached under the blanket, searching out Noctis’ hand. He found one and held it, willing his body heat into Noctis’ chilled fingers.

“That sounded like it sucked,” Prompto said. He laughed, the sound watery. “But hey, it’s all over now, right? You just sleep ‘til you feel better.”

Prompto stayed where he was. Eventually, the others returned. Ignis consulted with Aranea while Gladio joined Prompto at Noctis’ side.

“He okay?” Gladio asked.

“I think he’s warmer than he was before,” Prompto said. “That’s good, right?”

“Yeah,” Gladio said.

Moments later, the ship took off. Ignis joined them. “We’ll camp until Noct is well enough to travel to a motel,” he said. “We should keep a low profile until then.”

“What if he gets an infection?” Gladio asked.

“Aranea’s already thought of that,” Ignis said. He dug through the first aid kit and held out a three epi-pen like injectors. “These will treat any likely infections he may have and rehydrate him.” Moments later, he had injected all three into Noctis.

“The Empire knows its battlefield medicine,” Gladio said. “You wouldn’t think they’d bother.”

“Ah, they still have some flesh and blood soldiers,” Biggs piped up from where he monitored their location. “Gotta keep us going somehow.”

“Guess so,” Gladio said.

A short while later, they were back at the campsite. Gladio lifted Noctis out of his bloodstained cocoon and carried him out. Prompto bid farewell to Aranea, Biggs and Wedge before hurrying after Gladio.

“We owe you,” Ignis said. “If there’s ever anything we can do –”

“I’ll find you,” Aranea said. “Go. Look after him. And if I hear anything else about experimental anti-Lucian Royalty weapons, I’ll try to get to you before he’s a victim.”

“Thank you.”

Ignis let the ship and joined his friends in the camp. Moments later, Aranea was gone, disappearing into the skies above Alstor. Ignis retreated to the tent, where Gladio had placed Noctis and Prompto was preparing Cup Noodles. For once, Ignis didn’t complain about convenience food. Instead, he accepted his and ensured the others ate and drank enough.

Half an hour after their return, all four were sound asleep.

* * *

Birdsong sang to him, calling him out of dreams. Noctis opened his eyes and found himself in the tent. Soft, morning light shone through the tent’s fabric. He could hear the birds, but also the sound of breathing. His friends were with him, all of them fast asleep. Carefully, aware of how weak and dizzy he was, Noctis sat up. Pain shot through him. He hissed, swallowing any cries so he didn’t awaken the others. He pressed a hand to his side, felt bandages under his t-shirt. He held himself still, waiting until the pain levelled off. Sweat peppered his skin, his shirt sticking to him. The tent turned around him. It was no good. He couldn’t stay upright. He lowered himself back to the ground, staying quiet so he didn’t wake the others.

Flat again, Noctis tried to remember what had happened. His memory was slippery. He remembered pain and fear, and the feeling of losing something essential, but the details eluded him.

Despite the pain and discomfort, Noctis couldn’t drift back to sleep. He didn’t want to wake the others, but if he didn’t do something for the pain soon, it would make him sick. He reached into the Armiger, searching for curatives. The tiny effort exhausted him. He tried to grab an Elixir, tried to pull it back into reality, but it was as hard as it had been in the earliest days of his training.

Or when he hit the worst Stasis.

“Dammit,” he whispered. He let go. Tension ran through his body, making the pain clenching his side so much worse. If he didn’t do something soon, he’d throw up. “Calm down.” He managed to steady his breathing. With that, his muscles loosened. The pain subsided, going from agony to severe discomfort.

His body cried out for more sleep, but pain kept him miserably conscious. He knew he should wake his friends, ask for help, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t know what they’d been through to help him, or how long they’d been sleeping. They needed rest just as much as he did.

Time dragged by. Sweating and shivering, Noctis tried to focus on the birdsong outside his tent. He listened to the trills and twitters, letting the music wash over him.

He didn’t realise he’d fallen asleep until a familiar voice called his name. “Noct?”

He opened his eyes. The songs were gone, as was the light. He frowned. Had he slept through an entire day? He looked up and saw Gladio. The others were gone.

“Hey. How you feeling?”

The truth escaped. “Bad.”

Gladio frowned. “What do you need?”

“Elixir. I can’t get it out myself.”

“Stasis?” Gladio asked, the much-needed Elixir appearing in his hand.

“S’bad,” Noctis said.

Gladio helped him crush the Elixir. Its magic washed over Noctis. The relief felt so good, he almost wept with relief.

“Better?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah,” Noctis said, voice shaking with the joy of no longer being in agony. He pressed his arm over his eyes like that would push the tears back in.

“Ignis wants me to get you up. Says you need to drink at least. Can you manage?”

Noctis pushed himself upright. The pain wasn’t so bad this time, but the dizziness hadn’t abated in the least. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“You okay?” Gladio asked.

“Dizzy,” Noctis said. “Gimmie a minute.” He tried to breathe through it. His stomach lurched, his mouth filling with saliva. “Ugh.”

Gladio managed to get their washing up bowl under him in time for him to be sick. “Never mind,” he said. “We’ve got another one in the car.”

With Gladio’s help, Noctis staggered out of the tent. Starlight shone overhead, the sight of the bright sky soothing Noctis. Ignis and Prompto greeted him, and he managed a weak smile before Gladio helped him shuffle over to a chair. He slumped into it, his whole body tingling with over-exertion.

“Feeling rough?” Prompto asked sympathetically, handing over a water bottle.

“Yeah,” Noctis said. He sipped the water, relishing how refreshing it was. He hadn’t realised how thirsty he was. By the time he came up for air, the bottle was empty. “What happened?”

“The Empire,” Ignis said. He gave Noctis a mug full of soup. “They created a new weapon.”

“It stole my magic,” Noctis said, memories filtering in. He leaned back in his chair. “No wonder the Stasis is this bad.” He tried again to pull something, anything, out of the Armiger. No joy.

Gladio frowned. “Didn’t the Elixir help?”

“Yeah, but I guess it’s gonna take more time,” Noctis said. He remembered the feeling now, of his magic being pulled out of him, eaten up by a machine he couldn’t be rid of. It felt like fingers reaching into him, tearing away, shred by shred, until there was so little left he thought he’d die. He shuddered, his hand ghosting over the wound just to be sure the bolt was definitely gone. “What happened? How did you get it out?”

Noctis listened in astonishment as his friends explained what had happened two days ago. Two _days_. By the time they were finished, Noctis realised he was staring at them wide-eyed.

“Thank you,” he said. “I owe you all. And Aranea.”

“Any time,” Prompto said.

“It’s our job,” Gladio added.

“All the same, I’d rather we avoid a similar situation,” Ignis said. “Aranea said she’ll keep us apprised of any new weaponry the MTs may use against us.”

Noctis nodded. He sipped his soup. His stomach settled, the herbs Ignis had blended in calming Noctis’ strained body. The others chatted around him. Noctis was content to sit and listen, still too tired to really take part, but keen to not fall asleep again. Not yet.

Except that he did, waking up to find Ignis sliding his mug out of his hands before he could drop it. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Ignis said. “You’re exhausted still. You should rest.”

Noctis rubbed at his eyes. “I am resting.” He looked around and saw that Prompto and Gladio were already in the tent.

Ignis sat beside him. “Noct, I wanted to apologise.”

“For what?”

“I caused you terrible pain when I removed the bolt the other day.”

“If you hadn’t, I would’ve died.”

“I know, but still, I wish it could’ve been different.”

“Ignis, I’m alive because of what you all did, including pulling that thing out of me. I don’t… I can’t really remember any of it.” That wasn’t exactly true, but sometimes Ignis needed the truth kept from him to stop him from his incessant worrying. “Please, don’t blame yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. It had to be done. You had to rip it out. It’s the only reason I’m still alive.”

“If you’re sure,” Ignis said.

“Sure I’m sure,” Noctis said.

“You should get some more sleep.”

“Nah. Not yet.”

“Your eyes are shut.”

“So? I’m resting them. I’m totally awake.”

Ignis chuckled. “That excuse hasn’t worked on me since you were seven years old.”

Noctis smiled sleepily. “I need the fresh air.”

“Yes, that’s certainly true.”

“I’m sorry you had to do what you did,” Noctis said.

“I’d do it again.”

“Let’s make sure you don’t have to.”

“Agreed.”

Noctis slid deeper into his chair. “I’m gonna rest my eyes here some more.”

A blanket fell over him. “I knew we should’ve brought reclining chairs.”

The chair beside Noctis creaked. He cracked open an eye and saw Ignis settling himself. Eyes closing, Noctis smiled. “We can pick some up.”

Under Ignis’ watchful gaze, Noctis slept and healed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> See you next fanfic Friday for more :D


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